Join Us For Holy Week!

Dear Friends of our Pastorate of the Visitation,

This weekend begins our journey through the holiest week of the year with the celebration of the Passion of the Lord on Palm Sunday. Holy Week offers us many opportunities to experience Jesus’ journey from the Last Supper, to his Cross, and to his Resurrection. I encourage you to take some time this week to enter into these solemn days of prayer and fasting with a sense of reverence and reflection upon what our Savior Jesus Christ accomplished for us by his Passion. I invite you and encourage you to join us as we celebrate these liturgies together as one Pastorate Community. They are very powerful experiences of the Lord’s overwhelming love for us… a love that led him to freely take up His Cross.

Here are the Holy Week and Triduum schedules for the Pastorate:

• Tenebrae (@SJF), Tuesday, March 31st at 8:00pm – a sensory commemoration of Christ’s suffering
• Holy Thursday (@ SJF), April 2nd – 7:00pm Mass followed by Adoration until 9:00pm
• Good Friday, April 3rd – 
  
  • Stations of the Cross – 12:00pm at SJF; 3:00pm at OLC (youth led)
    (Communion is NOT distributed at these services.)
  • Passion of the Lord – 3:00pm at SJF
  • Passion of the Lord – 7:00pm at OLC 
    (Communion will be distributed at these services.)
• Blessing of the Easter Foods, Holy Saturday, April 4th – 9:00am at SJF, 12:00pm at OLC
• Pastorate Easter Vigil (@ OLC), April 4th – 
  8:00pm at Our Lady of the Chesapeake
  (There will be no Confessions and no 4:00pm nor 5:00pm Masses on April 4th)
• Easter Sunday, April 5th – 
  SJF: 8:00am, 10am, 12:00pm (Note time change).
  OLC: 8:00am, 9:30am, 11am (Note time changes).

Fr. Steve and Fr. John will be at the Triduum liturgies as well as the Easter Vigil. Fr. Steve will celebrate Masses on Easter Sunday at OLC. Fr. John will be celebrating Easter Sunday Masses at St. Jane Frances. The 10:00am Mass at SJF and the 11:00am Mass at OLC will offer homilies geared toward the children of the pastorate.

In addition to the events listed above, the Archdiocesan Chrism Mass will take place on Monday, March 30th at 7:00pm at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore. At this Mass, the Archbishop will bless the holy oils to be used for anointing of the sick and the catechumens, as well as consecrate the Sacred Chrism that will be used for Baptisms, Confirmations, and Holy Orders during the coming year. The priests of the Archdiocese will also renew the promises we made at our ordinations. This celebration is open to the public and all are invited to attend. As a priest, I know I am always thankful to see current (and former) parishioners in attendance. Please consider joining us.

The final opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation before Easter will be offered by Fr. Steve on Tuesday, March 31st from 6:00pm to 7:30pm at St. Jane Frances and on Wednesday, April 1st from 5:30pm to 6:30pm at Our Lady of the Chesapeake.

Thank you for keeping our Pastorate of the Visitation—St. Jane Frances de Chantal and Our Lady of the Chesapeake—in your daily prayers!

God Bless,
Fr. Steve

Just Read It!

Dear Friends in Christ,

I invite you to prayerfully read again the moving and amazing story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead we’ve heard this Sunday. Read it again on your own, with your family, your spouse, with a friend – in person or over the phone. Just read it! I believe encountering Jesus in this passage will increase our faith, hope, and love for who He is for us.

Along with hearing this gospel passage, we celebrate the third and final Scrutiny (10am at St. Jane). As I mentioned last week, the scrutinies prepare our catechumens for baptism (and all of us for renewing our baptismal promises at Easter.) The Scrutinies instruct catechumens and the Church to ask the Lord for a spirit of repentance, a deeper sense of sin, and for the true freedom given to God’s children through the waters of baptism.

The raising of Lazarus not only gives us hope for eternal life and the resurrection of our bodies, but it also directs us to adore a more immediate and marvelous miracle. We have been given a new and supernatural life through baptism. That’s a big deal, a game-changer, a life-changer.

The good teachers at the St. Paul Center write, “when Jesus commands Lazarus to be ‘loosed’ and ‘let go,’ he employs the Greek verbs luô—elsewhere used of being loosed from Satan’s power (Luke 13:16; 1 John 3:8), from sin (Rev 1:5), and death (Acts 2:24)—and aphiêmi, which usually means ‘forgiven of sin’ in the Gospels. This resurrection, then, is also a ‘release’ and ‘remission’ of sin, death, and Satan, a further typification of Baptism.”

While we marvel at the physical miracle of Lazarus being raised from the dead, we should also ask the Lord to help us experience in a new way the joy of being like Lazarus – raised to new life in Christ, untied and let go.

Lord, help me to be thankful for my baptism that makes me your child. Help me to avoid anything that would lessen or rob me of this supernatural life. Give me childlike trust and humble confidence in your presence and your love for me wherever I am, whatever I’m doing. 

This Wednesday March 25, the Church celebrates the solemnity of the Annunciation when the angel Gabriel declared unto Mary and she conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit. Celebrate this important day! There are traditions that also mark this day as the date of the crucifixion of Jesus. While claiming these are the same date are small ‘t’ traditions, it benefits us to think about the important connections between these things. 03/25 is also the feast of the good thief St. Dismas and, for Lord of the Rings fans, it is the date of the destruction of the One Ring.

May Mary intercede for our Pastorate that we always have hearts always open to the will of God, especially as we draw closer to Holy Week and as we carry our crosses daily.

In Christ,
Father John

Where We’re At

Dear Friends in Christ,

On the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sundays of Lent, we celebrate the Scrutinies. The first Scrutiny was held last Saturday at Our Lady of the Chesapeake at 4pm. The second Scrutiny is this Sunday at OLC at 10:45. The Third is next Sunday at SJF at 10am.

The Scrutinies prepare our catechumens (those not yet baptized) for baptism as they ask for graces of purification and detachment from sin. For those of us who are already baptized, the scrutinies ready us to renew our baptismal promises at Easter. The gospel passage of each Sunday harmonizes with each scrutiny. In each gospel we encounter Christ’s power and desire to restore us to wholeness and communion with God, ourselves, and others.

Last week, we heard the mystery of the Samaritan Woman from John 4. Placing ourselves in the Samaritan Woman’s shoes, we come to realize that Jesus thirsts for us. He meets us “where we’re at.” But, He loves us too much to leave us there – in our sins and our woundedness. His truth purifies us. Lord, I thirst for you!

Today on the fourth Sunday, we hear the story of the man born blind from John 9. Jesus gives vision to the blind. More importantly, Jesus is able to give new sight to those blinded by sin. But those who do not admit their sin and need of the Savior remain blind. Lord, I want to see!

Next week we will hear the story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life, has come to raise the dead to new life in the Spirit. Lord, I believe you can heal and restore me, that you can elevate me to a new life. Lord, raise me to new life!

Thank you so much to Teresa Sparklin, Melissa Boyle, volunteers, Knights—all who contributed to make the St. Patrick’s Day Bazaar a success!

We look forward to a good turnout this week for our parish mission! Please join us Monday at 7pm at St. Jane Frances for a talk on Reconciliation along with Eucharistic adoration and opportunities for Confession; Tuesday evening, 7pm at OLC for a talk on Anointing of the Sick with Adoration and Confessions; and Wednesday evening at 7pm at OLC for a Mass of Healing and opportunity to receive the Anointing of the Sick. Please invite friends and family to these powerful nights of prayer for our spiritual family of our Pastorate.

May St. Patrick and St. Joseph defend and intercede for us on his their feast days this week (Tuesday and Thursday)!

God bless!
Fr. John

What Are You Thirsting For?

Brothers and Sisters,

What are you thirsting for? Is your heart thirsting for things that leave you spiritually dry? We often look to satisfy our thirst with water that doesn’t satisfy. The human heart has a deep, insatiable thirst for love and meaning. This thirst can only be satisfied by the living water that Jesus gives as the woman at the well in the gospel reading discovered (John 4:5–42).

She went every day to the well to draw water. Yes, this was a physical necessity. But again, there is something deeper here. The woman had many disappointments in her life. Like all of us, she was thirsty for meaning in her life. She was thirsty for love. Jesus pointed out to her that she was looking in all of the wrong places. Her life-thirst was not being satisfied. She was unhappy. She wasn’t finding authentic love. She didn’t find anyone or anything to satisfy the deep longing of her heart until she met Jesus. Our Lord spoke to the Samaritan woman about the living water He would give, the water that would truly quench her thirst and become in her “a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” This is the water we all thirst for, the living water of the Holy Spirit, the water that satisfies our infinite thirst.

Lent is a time for us to quench our thirst, to rediscover the meaning of our life in Christ. This is a special time to encounter Jesus like the Samaritan woman at the well, and to be transformed by our encounter with Jesus. Jesus is calling us to let Him satisfy our deepest thirst. Are we drinking from the never ending wellspring of life?

God Bless,
Deacon Howard

Transfiguration Of Jesus

Dear Friends of our Pastorate of the Visitation,

This weekend, we celebrate the Second Sunday of Lent. Our Gospel reading for this Sunday is the Transfiguration of Jesus. You will recall that Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up the mountain and was transfigured before them. The scriptures say his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. Also appearing with him are Moses and Elijah, representative of the law and the prophets. In the transfiguration, Jesus is offering us a glimpse into the glorification of the body that comes from the resurrection. He is trying to strengthen the faith of his apostles whose faith will be shaken after the crucifixion. This offers us encouragement as well, knowing that just as with Jesus, our earthly death will ultimately lead to resurrected glory, for we, too, will experience this transfiguration of the body on the last day.

Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate Mardi Gras a couple of weeks ago at one of our two fundraisers. The proceeds from both fundraisers will go to support our youth ministry programs. Our Pancake Dinner at St. Jane Frances raised about $700, and our Rumor Meal event raised $1,175. Special thanks to all who helped to make these fundraisers successful, especially the “chefs” at St. Jane Frances and Terri and Carl at the Rumor Meal. Our next fundraiser will be at Brian Boru on Thursday, March 26th, so mark your calendars!

Ministry Opportunities 

We have some wonderful liturgical ministry opportunities available for you, especially at St. Jane Frances. We are in need of volunteers to assist us at Mass as lectors, extraordinary ministers, and altar servers. Our needs are greatest for the 5:00pm, 10:00am, and 10:45am Masses. If you would like to volunteer, please reach out to either myself or Fr. John.

Stations of the Cross 

As we continue our Lenten journey, don’t forget to join us for Stations of the Cross on Fridays at 12:00pm at OLC and 7:00pm at SJF. The Knight of Columbus host the Lenten Fish Frys at St. Jane’s on Fridays from 4pm to 7pm in the parish hall. Our Lenten Mission is March 16–18 entitled “Restored in Christ – Sacraments of Healing.” In addition to a talk on the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick, we also will have adoration, confessions, and a Mass of Healing, so please plan to join us!

Organ Rebuild Project

The organ rebuild project at St. Jane Frances is proceeding smoothly. We are anticipating the re-installation of the organ in May. Thank you to everyone who has made a donation to the project. To date, we have raised $24,580 toward our total cost of $106,000.

Thank you to everyone who has participated in the 2026 Annual Appeal for Catholic Ministries. The theme for this year’s appeal is “Lift Up Your Hearts.” This theme calls us to “Lift Up Our Hearts to God, Unite in Hope as a faith community, and embrace our shared mission of Service.” Please offer what you can to assist our Church in our corporal works of mercy by making a gift to the Annual Appeal for Catholic Ministries. Thanks!

Thank you for keeping our Pastorate of the Visitation—St. Jane Frances de Chantal and Our Lady of the Chesapeake—in your daily prayers!

God Bless,
Father Steve

Fast. Pray. Give.

Dear Friends in Christ,

I hope your Lent is off to a good start! If it snuck up on you, then let’s engage! The readings this Sunday plunge us into the heart of Lent’s drama. In the gospel, we hear of how Jesus goes to battle for us in the desert. He will do just the same in His Passion. Lent draws us into the desert with Christ to be won over by Him, won over to His open Heart of love.

The Catechism #539 explains the temptations in the desert: “Jesus is the new Adam who remained faithful just where the first Adam had given in to temptation. Jesus fulfills Israel’s vocation perfectly: in contrast to those who had once provoked God during forty years in the desert, Christ reveals himself as God’s Servant, totally obedient to the divine will. In this, Jesus is the devil’s conqueror: he ‘binds the strong man’ to take back his plunder. Jesus’ victory over the tempter in the desert anticipates victory at the Passion, the supreme act of obedience of his filial love for the Father.”

In Lent, we are in the desert with Christ. When we humbly and sincerely call upon Jesus, He is actively working to restore us. He is healing us, bringing us to encounter God’s love and truth which brings us into communion and wholeness.

In the desert with Christ, we come to understand the truth of who God is: merciful and trustworthy; the truth of who we are: a beloved son/daughter, loved more than we can imagine; the truth of who our neighbor is: a gift! In this Lenten season, with the timeless means of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we let go of distractions, fast from pleasures and entertainments, and say yes to deeper communion with God and more sincere, generous service of our neighbor. Lord, help us persevere!

Thank you to all those who helped organize as well as those who supported our various youth ministries with dinner at the Rumor Meal and/or the Pancake Dinner.

Please see our Lenten schedule for the many good things we have going on to enrich our community and deepen our faith this Lent. There are the Friday Lenten Fish Frys at St. Jane. (You may see me serenading/busking once again.) The weekly Stations of the Cross; the Catholic Men’s Fellowship Conference March 14th; the Lent Mission March 16-18.

In addition to your prayers for our Pastorate family, please say a special prayer for the participants in OCIA as they journey to the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen to participate in the Rite of Enrollment/Call to Continued Conversion, presided by Archbishop Lori.

God bless you!
Fr. John

Mardi Gras & Ash Wednesday This Week!

Dear Friends of our Pastorate of the Visitation,

This weekend, we celebrate the final Sunday in Ordinary Time before we begin our Lenten journey on Ash Wednesday. In our Gospel this weekend, Jesus reminds us that he has come not to abolish the law but to fulfill it. The law and the prophets were given to the people as a sign of their covenantal relationship with God as well as to prepare them for the coming of the Messiah. They gave guidance on how the people were called to live with one another. Those who follow the teachings are drawn into a deeper relationship with the Lord, while those who break them are distancing themselves from the Lord. Jesus goes on to interpret the law by stating: “you have heard that it was said… but I say to you…” This is not a change in the law but instead a deepening of its meaning, which includes a call to us for a change in heart so that we are not just living up to the “letter of the law,” but allowing it to change us and conform us more closely to Christ. As we prepare this week for the season of Lent, may the message from this weekend’s scripture readings begin this process of conversion within each one of us.

This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday. Masses will be offered at the following times: 

• St. Jane Frances: 8:30am, 12:00pm and 7:00pm
• Our Lady of the Chesapeake: 8:30am and 7:00pm

Please come and join us for Mass as you begin your Lenten journey. Stations of the Cross will be offered on Fridays during Lent: 12:00pm at OLC and 7:00pm at St. Jane. We are also beginning our Lenten group study based on the book Restore: A Guided Journal for Prayer and Meditation. Please keep our pastorate in your prayers as we take these early steps toward preparing ourselves for the celebration of our Lord’s Passion and Resurrection at Easter (which is April 5th).

On Mardi Gras, Tuesday, Feb. 17th, we will be offering two opportunities to celebrate before the start of Lent. One is our annual Mardi Gras celebration at the Rumor Meal (Mountain Road). Dine in or Carry Out (no delivery) and tell them you are with OLC and we will receive a portion of your proceeds for our Youth Ministry Program. Fr. Steve will again be guest bartending from 6:00pm to 8:00pm that evening. We also have our Pancake Dinner in the St. Jane Parish Hall from 4:30pm to 7:00pm. Tickets are $10/ adults, $8 for kids 3–12, or $30 for the entire family. This will also support Youth Ministry. We hope you can join us!

Thank you to everyone who has participated in the 2026 Annual Appeal for Catholic Ministries. The theme for this year’s appeal is “Lift Up Your Hearts.” This theme calls us to “Lift Up Our Hearts to God, Unite in Hope as a faith community, and embrace our shared mission of Service.” There is still time for you to make your donation to the Appeal which supports many social ministries programs throughout the Archdiocese. The Catholic Church is the largest private provider of services to people in need in the state of Maryland. Please offer what you can to assist our Church in this corporal work of mercy by making a gift to the Annual Appeal for Catholic Ministries. Thanks! 

Thank you for keeping our Pastorate of the Visitation—St. Jane Frances de Chantal and Our Lady of the Chesapeake—in your daily prayers!

God Bless,
Father Steve

Nothing Ordinary About It

Dear Friends in Christ!

This Sunday the Church celebrates another epiphany (manifestation/appearance) with the baptism of Jesus. The Dicastery for Clergy and Joseph Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) speak of this epiphany in this way:

“The same Spirit that descended on the water of the River Jordan wafted over the waters during the first creation (Gen 1:2). Therefore, the Baptism in the Jordan presents yet another truth: that Jesus has started a new creation. He is the second man (1 Cor 15:47) or the last Adam (1 Cor 15:45), that comes to repair the first Adam’s guilt. He does this as the Lamb of God that takes away our sins. ‘Jesus loaded the burden of all mankind’s guilt upon His shoulders; he bore it down into the depths of the Jordan. He inaugurated his public activity by stepping into the place of sinners.’”

Monday, January 12, we commence the season of Ordinary Time. Back to green! Ordinary Time puts us back on our day to day walk towards Heaven. Jesus leads us and walks with us. The “task of the whole of our earthly existence is to bring about what baptism inaugurates,” Blessed Columba Marmion (1858–1923) says. We do this by saying “yes” to God who is always inviting us to deeper friendship—union—with Him through daily prayer, the sacraments, and concrete acts of Christ-like love and witness in our pastorate, communities, and workplaces. Say yes to the invitations!! A couple invitations are as follows!

All are encouraged to participate in Shelter Week/Winter Relief at OLC from January 26 to February 2. There are many ways to help. Please see the advertisement in the bulletin and sign up!

Throughout the season of Lent (which starts February 18) leaders of the Walking With Purpose are sponsoring a Lenten study entitled RESTORE. It will be available to the whole pastorate—women and men. There will be many ways to participate in this study: in person at the parishes, at host-homes, and virtually. Please see the bulletin, websites, and tables after Masses in the coming weeks for opportunities to sign-up. You won’t want to miss out on this great opportunity to spend time with other parishioners, growing in faith, friendship, and mission.

God bless you and thank you for keeping the Pastorate of the Visitation in your daily prayers!

Fr. John

Christian Love And Friendship

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus,

This time last year, a wonderful couple reached out inquiring about Catholicism and the possibility of becoming Catholic. I scheduled to meet with them on Saturday, February 1 (a year ago Sunday). In the course of finishing a chore before meeting them, I accidentally locked my keys in the SJF office. Of course! But, the church was still open, so we had our meeting there. My sense is that their hearts were very open as I introduced them to Catholicism by giving them a tour of the church. It was moving and delightful to see things anew through their eyes and their questions. 

I am thankful for the profound and humbling experience of ministering to this couple and to so many others through our OCIA program. We have twenty-some people at various stages of preparation who will enter or complete their initiation into the Catholic Church through holy Baptism, Confirmation, and/or first Holy Communion this Easter! That is amazing! I am asking you to please pray for them and offer some sort of sacrifice/fasting for them as they continue their preparation. Please do not be afraid to invite people to Mass, Bible Study, or to any event we have happening. The Holy Spirit is moving in peoples’ hearts!

Monday, February 2, is the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. On this day we celebrate the World Day for Consecrated Life. Please pray that God will raise up women and men from our Pastorate to respond generously to the invitation to a life of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Pray also for all consecrated religious sisters and brothers and priests as they live out their vows and who through so many charisms make present the heart, person, and mission of Jesus Christ. We especially thank God for Brother Joseph Krondon OFM Conv., Sister Liz Sjoberg DC, Sister Sally Russell SSJ, the School Sisters of Notre Dame, and all those who have loved ones in religious life. I apologize if I have missed anyone!

Thank you to everyone for your generosity of time, talent, and treasure in welcoming and serving our friends from Arundel House of Hope during Shelter Week. It is such a beautiful and profound display of Christian love and friendship!

Men of the Pastorate are invited to participate in the Catholic Men’s Conference on March 14, 2026 at St. Louis in Clarksville. This is always an inspiring event for brothers in Christ, married, single, young and old to share in together. Register here: https://www.catholicmensfellowship.com/

We have had a wonderful response so far in anticipation of our Lent program RESTORE. Sign-up is still open. It is a study for all women and men of the Pastorate. There are options for in-person and virtual participation. You can sign-up via the bulletin or online or by contacting pasadenawwp@gmail.com

There will be an introduction to the RESTORE study, distribution of books and a time of prayer in Eucharistic Adoration. All are encouraged to attend one or both of these gatherings: February 7 at OLC at 10am. February 14 at SJF at 10am.

May God bless you and thank you for keeping the Pastorate of the Visitation in your daily prayers!

In Jesus and Mary,
Father John

Christian Unity

Dear Friends in Christ,

In this Sunday’s Gospel passage, Jesus proclaims His gospel or good news that the Kingdom of God is at hand! May we hear this as if it were the first time and respond accordingly!

Centuries before the Incarnate Lord Jesus of Nazareth, there were other “gospels” around, for example in Greek and Roman cultures – announcements of the good news of victories and of kings and caesars. (Some proved to be far from good news!)

The good news of Jesus Christ is the triumph of Love over sin and death; it is a Kingdom not of this world. His Gospel summons us to repentance and to a new way of life. Jesus first preaches in Galilee of the Gentiles. Galilee was seen by many to be forsaken, a region of darkness. With repentant and hope-full hearts let us welcome Jesus into the Galilees of our lives. With expectant faith, may his Eucharistic presence enliven us to follow Him and make Him known and loved in all of the Galilees we enter this week.

Every year during the week of January 25 (the feast of the conversion of St. Paul), the Catholic Church throughout the world prays for Christian unity. Let us pray for this intention this week. Lord Jesus Christ, you show us how to be patient with one another in humility and gentleness. May the light you have shined on our path lead us towards unity and help us heal the wounds of division and indifference that often break communities apart. Prayer taken from Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity.

Registration is still open for our pastorate Lent study RESTORE. It is a five week journey for men and women to have a healing and fruitful Lent. There are many ways to gather and participate! Please see this page to register. Please contact pasadenawwp@gmail.com if you have any questions.

There will be two morning sessions to ready our hearts for this Lent program: February 7 at OLC and February 14 at SJF. Both at 10am-12pm. At this event, we will introduce and distribute the RESTORE book and show you how to access reflection videos online. Then we will have a time of prayer. Whether you participate in RESTORE or not, all are welcome to these mornings of prayer and preparation!

Our Lent mission will be held March 16-18 in the evening – 03/16 talk on Reconciliation, 03/17 confessions and adoration at OLC, 03/18 confessions and adoration at SJF. More information forthcoming! Thank you to all for your preparations for this Winter Relief week. Let us pray for and warmly welcome those we are serving!

God bless you and thank you for keeping the pastorate of the Visitation in your daily prayers!

Fr. John 

Here Am I, Lord

Dear Friends of our Pastorate of the Visitation,

This weekend, we return to Ordinary time with the celebration of the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. The theme for this weekend continues to build upon the baptism of the Lord that we celebrated last Sunday. The responsorial Psalm this weekend proclaims: “Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.” Jesus comes to accomplish the will of the Father. As his brothers and sisters through baptism, we ought to have the same desire with our lives – to do the will of God. Although we are not always successful at it, we are nevertheless encouraged to continue trying to surrender our wills to the will of God. Never give up or lose hope that you can do the Father’s will, for we know all things are possible for one who has faith.

The 2026 Annual Appeal for Catholic Ministries has kicked off! The theme for this year’s appeal is “Lift Up Your Hearts.” This theme calls us to “Lift Up Our Hearts to God, Unite in Hope as a faith community, and embrace our shared mission of Service.” Many of you should have received information about the Appeal in the mail. At the parishes, next weekend is our Announcement Weekend and the weekend of January 31–February 1 will be the Weekend of Giving. Our 2026 parish goals are as follows: St. Jane Frances $61,040; and OLC $62,618. I ask you to prayerfully consider your gift to the Annual Appeal for Catholic Ministries with open hearts and generous hands. Thanks.

Shelter Week is rapidly approaching. We will be hosting our guests the week of January 26–February 2 at OLC. We are still in need of volunteers to assist us throughout the week. Shelter Week information and volunteer sign ups can be found on our parishes’ websites. When you have the opportunity, please sign up to help us live out the corporal works of mercy.

This year, our Pastorate is sponsoring a seven-week group study for men and women (and couples) during the Lenten Season. Using Sr. Miriam James Heidland’s new book Restore: A Guided Journal for Prayer and Meditation and its accompanying videos, join fellow parishioners in a group study that will help you turn away from what wounds you and toward God who heals and makes you whole. Two of the weeks are completed individually; the other five weeks in a small group: in-person at one of our churches; in-person at a sponsor-home; or virtually. Additional information can be found on our websites. If you are interested in hosting a small group of your friends in your home, please email PasadenaWWP@gmail.com. Follow the Lord into the depths of your heart this Lent and you will never be the same! Sign up today!

Thank you for keeping our Pastorate of the Visitation—St. Jane Frances de Chantal and Our Lady of the Chesapeake—in your daily prayers!

God Bless,
Father Steve

Say Yes To Invitations!

From the Associate Pastor’s Desk…

Dear Friends in Christ!

This Sunday the Church celebrates another epiphany (manifestation/appearance) with the baptism of Jesus. The Dicastery for Clergy and Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) speak of this epiphany in this way:

“The same Spirit that descended on the water of the River Jordan wafted over the waters during the first creation (Gen 1:2). Therefore, the Baptism in the Jordan presents yet another truth: that Jesus has started a new creation. He is the second man (1 Cor 15:47) or the last Adam (1 Cor 15:45), that comes to repair the first Adam’s guilt. He does this as the Lamb of God that takes away our sins. ‘Jesus loaded the burden of all mankind’s guilt upon His shoulders; he bore it down into the depths of the Jordan. He inaugurated his public activity by stepping into the place of sinners.’”

Monday, January 12, we commence the season of Ordinary Time. Back to green! Ordinary Time puts us back on our day to day walk towards Heaven. Jesus leads us and walks with us. The “task of the whole of our earthly existence is to bring about what baptism inaugurates,” Blessed Columba Marmion (1858–1923) says. We do this by saying “yes” to God who is always inviting us to deeper friendship—union—with Him through daily prayer, the sacraments, and concrete acts of Christ-like love and witness in our pastorate, communities, and workplaces. Say yes to the invitations!! A couple invitations are as follows!

All are encouraged to participate in Shelter Week/Winter Relief at Our Lady of the Chesapeake from January 26 to February 2. There are many ways to help. Please see the advertisement in the bulletin and sign up!

Throughout the season of Lent (which starts February 18), leaders of the Walking With Purpose are sponsoring a Lenten study entitled RESTORE. It will be available to the whole pastorate—women and men. There will be many ways to participate in this study: in person at the parishes, at host-homes, and virtually. Please see the bulletin, websites, and tables after Masses in the coming weeks for opportunities to sign-up. You won’t want to miss out on this great opportunity to spend time with other parishioners, growing in faith, friendship, and mission.

God bless you and thank you for keeping the Pastorate of the Visitation in your daily prayers!

Fr. John

Epiphanies

Dear Friends of our Pastorate of the Visitation,

On behalf of all of us at our Pastorate, I would like to wish you and your families a very blessed and joyous New Year!

This weekend, we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord. Today’s feast day recalls the manifestation of Jesus as the king and savior of the world. There are actually three epiphanies identified in scripture: today’s feast which celebrates the magi coming to pay homage to Jesus, the baptism of the Lord, and the wedding feast at Cana. Our Gospel today tells us the story of the Magi who come from the east by following the star. They arrive in Bethlehem to offer their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These gifts reveal who Jesus is. He is our king (gold). He is our God (frankincense). He will suffer and die for our sins (myrrh). We too are called to participate in a journey, not unlike the Magi, to follow the Lord by the witness of our lives. When we follow the light of Christ, it will always lead us home.

Fr. John and I would like to thank everyone for your generous gis, cards, baked goods, and good wishes during the Christmas season. We are humbled by your outpouring of kindness to us and prayers for us. May the Lord bless you and your families in this New Year. Thank you also for your generous gifts and donations to our parishes. They are very much appreciated.

Our Pastorate is gearing up for Shelter Week this month. We will be hosng our guests the week of January 26 – February 2 at OLC. If it hasn’t already been published, we will be sending out our sign up request for volunteers as well as supplies for the week. When you have the opportunity, please sign up to help us in the corporal work of mercy.

Please pray for our youth who will be celebrating their First Reconciliations this week. We will be hosting two sessions: January 6th at SJF and January 10th at OLC. They are always nervous when going to confession for the first me, so I know your prayers for them would be appreciated.

Thank you for keeping our Pastorate of the Visitation—St. Jane Frances de Chantal and Our Lady of the Chesapeake—in your daily prayers!

God Bless,
Father Steve